Our Silverlining is on Oahu - Yes, you can make the move on a budget! (Honolulu: appointed, sales)
OahuIncludes Honolulu
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Hello folks, we arrived in Honolulu last Thursday after an exhausting three weeks of final sorting/selling/donating/packing. Stayed three nights in Waikiki before actually moving into our condo in Makaha.
Thanks to Timbo, we were not disappointed at our choice: 15th floor, 180 degree view of ocean and mountains, parking stall and all utilities, including basic cable: $1000/mo. Our family savings on rent and utilities: minimum of $1200/mo. Elimination of need for second car plus related expenses, another $900. The stress level has dropped tremendously.
We have made the trips to: Walmart, Target, Costco, Lowes, Tamura Market. We're finding that most items we use on a regular basis are very close to Los Angeles pricing or only a tad higher. Sales tax is 50% less here, so most end up not making a big impact on us.
Gas is cheaper here by about 10-15 cents from LA. Traffic hasn't been bad after 8 am from our place into Kapolei or further during our shopping trips.
Produce is about .50 to .75 more a pound, unless you choose the prepared/cut stuff. Then there's a sticker shock, so get out your paring knife and invest in a good chopping knife.
If you shop at the 7-11, Longs Drug or other quick stop market for your weekly groceries, then yes your bill will be a lot. But then what do you expect, it would be even more in LA quick stop markets. It's amazing to see so many non-tourists shop at these stores. Definately a budget breaker for any family!
Pricing at Costco for our favorite stuff, same, as well as the fastfood at the check out.
Yes, I'm lucky to be able to telecommute for my job. We've done the 58 miles one way for more years that we want to acknowledge.
Recording expense documentation as a reference for the folks who have been direct messaging me over the lasat two months.
High cost in Oahu is relevant to where you are coming from, what bills your bringing with you (we got rid of them all), space compromise, and whatever is right for your family. If you are coming from a big city in CA, Illinois, NY, you might be surprise that you can make your dream come true in Oahu if you need to find work outside of the hospitality industry.
Mahalo to Timbo and other cyber friends who have made the arrival in Oahu a wonderful experience so far. Nice to arrive with friends in place!
Thanks for posting your story. Your observations agree with what my research has lead me to believe. We are looking at relocating to Kauai or Maui. Coming from the expensive state of Alaska, the prices don't shock us that much.
Congrats on making your dream come true! I'm really happy for you! I have read your thoughtful, insightful posts with great interest, and I know that we too can "make it" coming from San Diego. Please keep the posts coming, your writing style is positive, with eyes open, and so informative, you have a lot of fans out here! Would love to see your post on "Describe your typical day" too!
Aloha!
BTW, I love the name of this post, I think you should start your own blog with your tips and adventures. I've read a ton of stuff on making it on a budget on the Big Island, but not so much about Oahu. You would have loads of fans, you are so kind not to have the "Now that I've moved to Hawaii, I wanna lock the gateway to the islands behind me!" mentality, and yes, I do understand the difference between that and legitimate warnings. I just think you've done a super job with researching your move, and I wish you much happiness, and look forward to sipping a mai tai with you in a few months!
Thanks for posting your story. Your observations agree with what my research has lead me to believe. We are looking at relocating to Kauai or Maui. Coming from the expensive state of Alaska, the prices don't shock us that much.
Twelve months and counting...
Coming from Alaska, you might be gaining some funds on normal day to day needs. I worked at Fluor on an Alyeska Pipeline project on the client side, so my co-workers would go to Alaska every two weeks. Needless to say we would talk about cost and they were higher than Orange County, CA.
During your countdown (WTG), make sure you give yourself more time than you think you'll need on the sort/donate/sell/take time frame. I swear that it was multiplying overnight during the last 3 weeks.
Thanks for the great post. We are also contemplating our move by the end of the year.
May I ask what did you ship, if anything, and how you did it?
Mahalo sbArtist,
After hitting up the stores this last week, I thought I would start a new thread on this subject next week. Waiting for the car to arrive, as well as a small crate we sent. That way I can give an informed post on the carriers we used as well as true cost. IE were there any hidden cost to actually get the items to you as promised.
Let us know how your research is going as well!
Ruby
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